France (Rise of the Moderns)
France have the Power of Revolution. Game Info National bonuses Starting government: Monarchy *+3 range and LOS on all artillery, siege, naval bombards *Receive 2 siege units for free whenever a New Siege Factory is built *Assimilate cities 4 times faster *Citizens ceated 33% cheaper *Military research is 33% cheaper, siege units upgrade for Free Unique units * King's Gendarme 1 => Garde du Corps 2 heavy cavalry with better armour and attack * King's Musketeers 1 => Chasseurs 2 => Voltigeurs 3 skirmisher units which are fleet on foot. * Maison du Roi Grenadiers 2 => 3 Old Guard Grenadiers (subsequently lost to Marines) * Chassepot brigade 4 => Poilu 5 line units, undecided bonuses * Lafayette's Dragoons 2 => Chasseurs à Cheval 3 * de Vallière cannon 2 => Gribevaul cannon 3 => 12 lber "Napoleon" 4 super-fast gun, with good research speed. * Armed supply Auxiliaries * 1 Merchant cavalryman — Weak but rather fast unit. * 1 Landsknecht * 2 Hessian cavalry * 3 Stradiot * 3 Irish brigade * 4 Algerian cavalry * 5 African chasseur. * 5 Tankette. Unique buildings *Academy - trains your elite units *Cathedral - performs taxation and religion research, and is the main stopping point for your auxiliary units. *Military-industrial complex (requires 6 levels of Military research; available from 4) **Units heal within your borders **Reduces the build time of ships, foundry units and aircraft **Has a +10 oil and +10 metal bonus (once 3rd Green researched). **Reduces the knowledge costs of science research and the research time for military research. **Grants access to upgrades that allow for the creation of dreadnoughts, howitzers and heavy machine guns in 5. **Has a facility for building recoilless gun infantry and tanks (different non-European sides build different tanks in 5 - Tanks are powerful mechanised units that destroy all other units, but have their own weaknesses - recoilless guns destroy them; they are vulnerable from aircraft attack; a direct hit from a cannon could potentially destroy them; and they are slower than tankettes, although they are much powerful in a shot-for-shot battle.) Spoiler The French form one of the more powerful factions around in Europe. With 4 unique cavalry units and 6 infantry units, and 2 artillery units, the French can form a highly dangerous army during the Mercantile and Imperial Eras, reflecting the power of the early modern French state. Additionally, their cultural bonuses are dedicated mostly towards warfare: lower costs for military library research and free artillery and artillery upgrades means that the French are often powerful beyond compare, even into the later stages when only their unique infantry, the Poilu, is available. Cheap citizens can be used for further construction or conversion to a milita force, while the reduction in military research costs often mean that the French will seldom lack manpower (although the economy will always be of great concern). One of the main benefits of France is that France has the ability to build salons. Salons generate more happiness because unlike taverns and speakeasys, their ability to generate happiness isn't based on what sort of resources you possess, but the number of patches of wine, tobacco, and peacocks you control. This means that you would be able to enjoy a greater degree of stability in your nation than others, as you will be able to utilise more merchants to gather the resources you need to keep your people happy. A happier population may make all the difference in the thick of a war, as your tax gathering and attrition fields will achieve greater efficiency than others, without having to sacrifice your capability to generate metal and knowledge. On the field, the French specialise in one special area, and that is the taking of cities. Since they assimilate cities faster than any other faction, the French player will thus find it most expedient perhaps to use his superior forces and artillery advantage to take cities. The lower cost of creating citizens also means that when the time comes to repopulate them, the French player can do this at little or no cost. The French player however will discover that his economy will be a tough field to master, having only the ability to obtain a higher population count at lower the cost — against the United Kingdom, the USA, Germany and Netherlands, the French player will find it difficult to maintain an economy; against the Chinese, he suffers again from having a slower albeit cheaper population growth rate. Thus as in history, one of the greatest themes of French strategy will be to avoid economic encirclement, by keeping your opponent's economy on the wrong foot at all times. Use artillery to take down your opponent's cities, and your superior infantry and cavalry to harass citizens, soft targets and ultimately enemy units themselves. Diplomacy cannot be neglected, however, as the French as with the Austrians are heavily dependent on resource imports. Make alliances with key partners with a border or trade advantage such as the Netherlands (for its ability to source rare resources) or the Portuguese, Spanish and Ottomans (who enjoy border push advantages) so that you can have access to peacocks, wine and tobacco to keep your people happy. CtW East Indies Campaign France, now renamed the French East Indies Company, has a small fort in Tamil Nadu. Unlike other CtWs, note that any area connected to the sea within a single region is attackable from elsewhere, so long as they share the same waters. In order to survive this environment, you will need to control 50% of the entire campaign map, and then collect 1,000 tribute. Grand Campaign In the Grand Campaign, the French are depicted as having recently undergone a coup in which Napoleon has returned and is now marching on Waterloo. The British and the Prussians will be hard pressed to keep Napoleon out of Germany (upon failing which the French will become more belligerent), yet other factions such as the Ottomans and even the Siamese can choose whether to ally with France or not. Founding of America campaign In the Founding of America campaign, France is depicted as having assets in the northern Gulf Coast and in Southern Canada. These outposts, however, albeit not well-connected, are however heavily fortified unlike the Swedish on the Delaware. History One of the most fascinating civilisations of the modern world was France. Although engaged in almost every war fought before 1700, it wasn't until about 1700 that France gained the spotlight. Rulers like Louis XIV, the Sun King, Henry IV, Cardinal Richelieu, and Napoleon Bonaparte controlled the French people and their domains. Familiar to most are the palace at Versailles, the Louvre, and most famously, the French Revolution and the Age of Napoleon. The Revolution of 1789 was more than a political revolution, it was a social and cultural revolution as well. What happened in France during and after 1789 changed the entire world, for ever. Early modern France: A Regime divided Although the French had managed to regain possession of nearly all of France at the close of the 15th century from the English, conditions at home could only be best as described as far from satisfactory. In an Europe dominated by the Habsburgs in Iberia on the Atlantic and Central Europe, France was a nation being torn apart by religious-related unrest, an extremely inefficient military, and economic ruin. During the 1500s, France was plagued by financial difficulties. Taxes were an especially difficult task for the government. Taxes were actually collected by citizens, called "tax farmers", who would pay for their job as tax farmer, and were hired to collect the taxes for the government. Multiple taxes (much like those levied on the American colonials in the 1770s) had to be levied to gather sufficient revenue for the operation and maintenance of the Empire. Wars in Italy and Germany did naught but bleed the French economy dry. The upper middle-class citizens helped raise large sums of money to aid the King and his wars, of course, they paid little or nothing in taxes to the Crown for their support. The Reformation also did nothing to ease the pressure on France. By the 1530s, the ideas of John Calvin took hold of many of the lower class people in France. Huguenotism began, that is, French Calvinism. The tension between the Huguenots and Roman Catholics continued to mount until it erupted in March of 1562, when a congregation of Huguenots was slaughtered at Vassy. Calvinist and Catholic forces clashed at Dreux in December of that same year. Peace was concluded in 1563. This peace was short-lived, however. A second war broke out between September and November of 1567, ending with another battle and another peace in March 1568. In September of 1568, a third war began. Several more battles were fought, but no major gains for either party, and another peace was signed in August of 1570. The final war came about in 1572, after the massacre of three thousand Huguenots at a wedding festival. This war was concluded in 1576, after further bloodshed. A fresh struggle occurred in 1585. Several Henries of various factions began a struggle for the throne of France. Henry III was assassinated. The Henry of Navarre, became King of France in 1589 upon Henry III's death, ending the war. The conflicts between 1585 and 1589 became known as the War of the Three Henrys. With this war's conclusion, the Wars of Religion, between the French Protestants and French Catholics, came to a close. Richelieu: The Age of Kings The dawn of the seventeenth century presented France with one of the greats: Cardinal Richelieu. From a family of five, he rose in the ranks of the clergy to become bishop at age twenty-two. He did some various work with France's Estates General, a Legislative body, until he fell out of favor and was exiled in 1617. This did not last long, however, and he was brought back in 1619 and was made a cardinal. Louis XIII, King of France (1610-1643) made him the "first minister", one of the most powerful posts in France. One of the first moves of Richelieu was to suppress the nobles who staged several revolts between 1625 and 1627. He then went on and crushed Huguenot military forts, thus ending any military threat from within. Richelieu helped direct the construction of a better French navy and continued colonial expansion for France in the Americas and Indies. France became involved in the War of Mantuan Succession and the Thirty Years' War during this time. These conflicts ended in favorable terms for France. He had helped shape France for the better during his career. His passing away in 1642 left another cardinal, Jules Mazarin, to take over the helm of the state. The Sun King: Golden Twilight of the Monarchy After the Thirty Years' War, the conflict between Spain and France continued until 1659, a decade after the Thirty Years' War had ended. The finances of France again went under during this time, and also resulted in several other rebellions known as the "Frondes". These were ended in 1653 after causing Louis XIV many problems. Louis XIV, the Sun King, is one of France's most celebrated leaders. His extremely lengthy rule, 1643-1715, is the longest in French history. In an effort to unify and rally an already fragmented and politically instable nation, Louis established a High Council of ministers who helped him rule the nation with efficiency. The Sun King stepped up efforts to eradicate and hinder Protestantism and various religious organisations outside of the Roman Catholic faith. He ordered the construction of Versailles, the vast palace that is a hallmark of French history. It cannot be said however that the Sun King did it all alone. His Minister of War, Louvois, helped reorganise and bring the French army up from a small sixteenth century force, to a national army of fully four hundred thousand troops. This new army set out to enlarge France's "natural frontiers" (the Rhine, Atlantic, Mediterranean, Alps, Pyrenees, and the English Channel). Several wars were fought over territories on the French frontier, disputed by the Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburgs. In 1667, Louis invaded the Spanish Netherlands and scored several victories, culminating in the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle giving the French several fortresses in Flanders. Five years later, an invasion of Dutch lands resulted in the Treaty of Nijmegan ended the war with more forts in Flanders being turned over to France in 1678. Ever more ambitious, France entered the War of the Grand Alliance in 1688 by invading Germany. This invasion backfired as the whole of Europe suddenly turned on Louis and although the French won several victories, they were unable to make anything of them. By 1697, a movement for peace was made and accepted. It proved, short-lived however. In 1700, the War of the Spanish Succession broke out as Charles II died heirless and left the throne to the ascension of Philip (V), Louis XIV's grandson. The English, Dutch, Austrians and some German states signed an alliance in 1701 to oppose Philip V and the ambitions of Louis. The armies of France were repeatedly defeated in all the theaters of the conflict, the Rhine, Italy, the Lower Counties. The ambitions of the new Emperor Charles of Austria and the Holy Roman Empire, however, frightened Britain, and so the House of Bourbon was allowed to be established in Spain under Philip V and peace was concluded in 1713 and 1714. The emerging power of Britain over Continental affairs and the gradual decline of the Spanish and French colonial empires was becoming apparent. In 1715, Louis XIV passed away. His successor, Louis XV was not the great man his grandfather Louis XIV had been. During his reign, 1715-1774, France became involved in increasingly unsuccessful military campaigns in both the Old World and the New World. Louis XV's reign continued its stagnation and decline. France made no gains during the partition of Poland - its influence in the central and eastern Europe was waning. Her great colonial empire had almost vanished. She still had the largest army and population in Europe, but she was starting to totter, from the inside. The next king, Louis XVI ascended to the throne. The first international event to affect his reign was the conflict that began in the Thirteen British Colonies. It was to France's great delight to see the American colonies rebel from the British crown, yet the success France achieved from this campaign could only be best described as a Pyrrhic victory. Napoleon and the French Revolutions As the 1780s rolled on, trouble began to brew in France. The eve of arguably the most earth-shaking event in history had dawned. The aristocrats continued playing their power cards during the 1780s, hindering the monarchy and the already weakening government. By 1789, things had worsened, food shortages and crop failures had only aggravated the already mounting tension. Fiscal from the financing of the American revolution also strained the budget. Thus, it was in May of 1789, that the Estates-General was convened. The Estates-General was divided into three separate States: the Nobility represented the First, the Clergy the Second, and the rest of the people, the Third. With King Louis XVI too slow to take any action, the Third Estate "rebelled" after being refused the right to sit with the other Estates. The Third Estate declared itself the National Assembly. Louis gave in and the Estates were united, but tensions continued to mount unabated. Fearful of the National Assembly, Louis XVI began to bring troops into Paris for security. In response, the citizens of Paris stormed the Bastille on July 14 and a National Guard was formed by the citizens to protect the Assembly. Unwisely, Louis XVI and his family attempted to flee Paris, but were soon placed under arrest. The monarchs of Europe sat at the edges of their seats, watching breathlessly the events taking place in France. In response, Austria and Prussia sent forces into France, and a series of revolts and uprisings then shook France and Paris. Louis XVI was deposed subsequently convicted of treason, and was sent to the guillotine. However, the wars took a turn for the worse as the monarchs formally organized the First Coalition and pushed the Republican armies back into France. Rebellions arose and France degenerated into a state composed of mob rule rather than that of an organized government. In the Fall of 1793, the Reign of Terror began. Thousands of people were arrested, imprisoned, or executed in a ruthless purge throughout France. In 1795, the First Coalition began to fall apart and the National Convention disbanded in turn leading to the creation of the Directorate. It was during the reign of the Directorate that a young Corsican general began his glorious rise to fame and power: Napoleon Bonaparte. After breaking up a threatening royalist mob in Paris, the Corsican foreigner was given command of the Army of Italy. With this ragged band of thirty thousand demoralized Frenchmen, Napoleon changed history forever. In 1796, he set off across the Alps and into Italy with his army. By 1797, the Sardinian and Austrian armies had been annihilated, the whole of northern Italy under French control, and Napoleon was within sixty miles of Vienna. The Peace of Campo Formio effectively ended the Second Coalition against the Republic. Next in Napoleon's sights was a mission to Egypt. With 40,000 men and a small fleet, General Bonaparte and the Army of the Orient were sent across the Mediterranean to Egypt in 1798. Here, as in Italy, Napoleon triumphed on over a dozen fields of battle, scattering his opponents to the wind. Napoleon continued to push north into Syria, but at Acre he was forced to withdraw after suffering reversals made possible by the British fleet's intervention. It was the same British fleet that had annihilated the French fleet in Aboukir Bay earlier. Meanwhile, fresh wars broke out against France while Napoleon was away. Invasion threatened the Republic yet again. Corruption riddled the current administration. After decisively crushing an Ottoman invasion of Egypt at Aboukir, Napoleon found himself without any opposition. Hearing of the French reversals in Europe and the weakness of the Directory, Napoleon returned to France in 1799 and successfully bid to become First Consul of France. By now, the young Bonaparte was the most powerful man in France. He had created the Consulate after his coup de'etat removing the Directory from power. As First Consul, he gradually centralised the powers of the Constitution on himself. The early nineteenth century found France an imperial police state with Napoleon Bonaparte as Emperor of the French and half of Europe under his direct authority. The writer HG Wells, generally summed up Napoleon's career as having given France "ten years of glory and the humiliation of final defeat". Category:Factions